The Abernethian code of health and longevity, or, every one's health in his own keeping ... founded on the principles ... of John Abernethy.

  • John Abernethy
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Abernethian code of health and longevity, or, every one's health in his own keeping ... founded on the principles ... of John Abernethy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    and told him he must make his choice, either of temperance or death. Regarding long life as the greatest blessing mortals can enjoy, and greatly dreading death, he adopted the former; he commenced a vigorous war against his passions, and, after some efforts, gained a complete victory. Virtue then triumphed, and crowned him with the blessing of Heaven and the esteem of his friends. He selected his articles of diet, and made a wholesome repast of one dish, and abstained from all savory sauces and spirituous liquors; he took only a sufficient quan- tity to satisfy nature, and so great an advocate did he become for temperance, that he was satisfied that what he left at a meal did him more good than what he consumed. He took care not to expose himself to sudden vicissitudes in the atmo- sphere; he abstained from violent exercise and late hours, and selected places for his residence the air of which was salubrious. Thus his constitution and intellects were, by the adoption of this well regulated plan, fully preserved. Though Carnaro is a strong instance of the happy effects of a well regulated plan, there are others who, without any of those rigid regulations, deserve more implicit imitation. The Cardinal de Senlis, under a less restricted plan, lived a hundred years—an equal age to Carnaro; and his maxim had been, in the previous years of bis life, to live with the caution of an old man when young, so that when old in years, he was still, in constitution, a youth. The celebrated John Westlev is another instance, who, with a natural weak and infirm habit, was able to undergo much bodily and mental exertion, for a long life, and to possess the mens Sana in corpore sano, solely by adhering to certain rules he had laid down. In more modern times, Sir John Sinclair recovered his health by a similar plan, though without any of those rigid regulations which mark the plan of Carnaro. Sir John observes,—“ though naturally possessed of a sound constitution, untainted by any hereditary disease, yet, about the year 1797, he fell into a weak and enervated state; found himself unequal to manage his pri- vate concerns, of prosecuting useful enquiries, or of applying his mind to political pursuits, with his former zeal and energy; he saw, also, many of his contemporaries die at an early period, before their constitutions had, apparently, suffered much decay. By reflecting on these circumstances, and a number of others, with which the subject is connected, he came to the conclusion, that more die from their own faults than from actual disease ; and that life might, accordingly, be prolonged, and health en- joyed with satisfaction, by a proper and regulated conduct with each individual, in regard to the various circumstances con- nected with the continuance or support of life: accordingly, by laying down a proper plan of proceeding for himself, he not
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